


Feelings I Couldn't Understand

by Mochisung02



Category: One Piece
Genre: Freeform, M/M, Pining Roronoa Zoro, Sanji Is Not A Vinsmoke, Worried Vinsmoke Sanji
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:47:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29957745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mochisung02/pseuds/Mochisung02
Summary: Sanji sees Zoro help a beautiful lady? What's gotten into Zoro? And why does Sanji want to know?
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 2
Kudos: 63





	Feelings I Couldn't Understand

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fic on this website and I recently just got back into making fics. Please comment if there are any grammatical errors and enjoy.

Sanji was bemused. He’s never seen Zoro being nice to the ladies before; after all, Zoro was Zoro. Zoro isn’t a gentleman; he barely has any manners when it comes to women. So seeing this side of him was just unsettling. It felt like he was seeing a side of Zoro he’s never been shown before. Zoro’s never been kind to Sanji, not even offering to help him wash the dishes, so seeing Zoro help a pretty lady carry her bags felt so new. 

Robin comes up to Sanji with a concerned look on her face. “Cook-san, are you okay?” she asked with furrowed brows.

“Robin-chwan! Everything’s fine now that you’re here!” Robin just stood there staring at him eager to help the bothered cook. Sanji couldn’t stay silent any longer, his curiosity eating away at him. He looked in Zoro’s direction and asked “Was the marimo always that nice to the ladies?”

He pointed to Zoro still helping the girl. Robin smirked at the cook’s question and said with an amused look on her face, “Have you never noticed before?.” She held her book to her face to shoot him one of her knowing looks.

Sanji was dumbfounded at their archaeologist’s question. _Noticed? Noticed what? The marimo acting strange?_ , The cook thought long and hard but couldn’t pinpoint exactly what she meant.

* * *

The cook decided to let it go for now and headed to the kitchen to cook their lunch. After he finished, he shouted from the kitchen to signal that lunch was ready. A hungry Luffy busts the door down, Nami sleepily walks in just waking up from her nap, Usopp and Chopper go in together in high spirits after their little game, Franky and Robin chatting about robot mechanics, and lastly Brook singing to himself about lunch. One by one, the crew sat at the table but the cook noticed that there was one crew member missing,

 _Zoro_. Zoro was always late but Sanji would always get annoyed because it was the marimo. If it were the ladies, it would be a different story but this was the swordsman he was talking about. They never really got along despite being on the same ship for more than a year. They’d always get into verbal fights but then result in an all-out brawl when finished.

Sanji wasn’t a big fan of him and he knew that Zoro must’ve hated him too. The cook went out to the deck to try and find him but he wasn’t there. He checked the crow’s nest to find a green-haired man happily snoring away with his swords resting by his side.

He lightly kicked the swordsman to wake up. Zoro groaned and quickly took his swords to defend himself from any danger that might’ve come on the ship but he lowered them the minute he saw the blonde-haired man with curly eyebrows.

“Lunch is ready. You better get down there before Luffy finishes yours too.” Zoro groaned in response and headed down to the kitchen to have lunch with the rest of the crew.

* * *

Throughout the entirety of lunch time, the cook kept glancing at the swordsman, desperate to find a slight change in his behavior that could possibly explain all his recent actions. But there didn’t seem to be anything weird or wrong with Zoro. He was eating like normal, occasionally passing the salt whenever someone asked him to. Quiet and aloof, that felt like the Zoro he knew after being with him on the same ship for so long.

The crew finished their lunch and left one by one, leaving Sanji and Zoro to clean up. It was the swordsman’s turn to help with the dishes after all. Sanji cleaned the plates while Zoro wiped them dry. They did this in awkward silence till one of them spoke.

“I noticed you were staring shit-cook, what do you want?” he said as he turned to look at Sanji directly in the eye.

* * *

Zoro ate his lunch in silence but he couldn’t help but feel that there was someone staring at him. He looked up to see the cook glancing in his direction. He was sitting in between Usopp and Franky, which made Zoro sure that Sanji was directing his gaze at him.

Sanji would glance from time to time, slowly eating his food. He wasn’t chatting with the females like he usually did every time the crew had a meal together. This made Zoro wonder if he had done something wrong, like steal booze from the cupboards, but every time he did, it never went unnoticed by Sanji, resulting in a fight or two.

The swordsman didn’t know what he had done to receive such a concentrated look from their cook so he decided he would ask him when they finished lunch.

The opportunity to ask came around when they washed dishes. The swordsman, dead-serious, looked at their cook in the eye and asked.

* * *

“What are you talking about?” Sanji looked taken aback from what he had just heard. He didn’t know that Zoro had noticed he was staring, after all, he thought he was being pretty oblivious until now.

“You know what I mean. Why were you staring?” The swordsman said, continuing to eye Sanji. The cook decided to take advantage of the already suspicious atmosphere and thought this was a good chance to ask about the swordsman’s strange behavior.

“And why were you helping that beautiful lady carry her bags? You aren’t the type of guy to do something so chivalrous” Sanji asked, the swordsman amused.

“Can’t I help a woman carry her bags and not get criticized by you for doing something nice? You jealous ero-cook?” Zoro said in a mocking tone and raised one of his eyebrows, Sanji was not having it.

“Jealous? Me? Jealous of her? Have you finally eaten so much grass, you turned into grass yourself shitty marimo?.” Sanji was fuming because why would he be jealous? He just wanted to know why Zoro suddenly had a change in attitude but the swordsman was suddenly mocking him for asking.

 _Was he jealous? Was that why his beautiful Robin-chan looked at him that way?_ Sanji couldn’t take it anymore.

“Look marimo, I’m just curious as to why you’re suddenly being so nice to all these ladies you come across, cause last time I checked, I’ve never seen you act like this and it’s just weird” he asked hesitantly. He finally told Zoro what was bothering him the whole day. Sanji felt vulnerable but he wasn’t sure why.

Zoro looked at Sanji like he was the strange one. “Why do you care so much?” the swordsman asked with a look on his face that made Sanji feel like he was prying into someone else’s heart.

“I - I don’t know! I don’t know why I want to know so much either! You acting weird is making me act weird!.” Sanji regrets everything he just said. 

“I want to know why you care about me being so nice to other people!.” Zoro looked at him in agony. “Do you hate me so much that you’d even want to shit on me for trying to be nice?!.” Zoro was mad, he felt like he was being wronged by the cook.

“What? No! What do you mean?” Sanji asked, confused. The cook looked at him, confused at the man’s sudden outburst.

“I get it. Fine, I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want,” Zoro stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Sanji to pick up his thoughts.

* * *

Zoro was trying to ignore it but it would always bother him. The swordsman couldn’t just ignore Sanji treating the girls like they were royalty. Zoro wondered what the cook got out of it since the girls always treated him like dust.

Zoro could see how happy the cook would get from receiving the bare minimum and something about this made Zoro annoyed. _He’s barely getting anything from all this, yet he still does it_.

He can see the amount of effort Sanji puts whenever he’d make the girls a fancy drink or dessert and thought that it was unfair to the cook. The cook flirted with girls left and right but he’d never get the same kind of attention he’d give them.

Zoro wanted to know why he acted like this. He wanted to feel what the cook possibly felt when he did all these grand actions.

They stopped at an island to restock on food and things they needed to buy. The crew would go their separate ways to town and that included Zoro, taking a path he didn’t know. Walking around town, the swordsman continued to wander till he saw a beautiful woman, the type Sanji would try to flirt with, struggling to carry her shopping bags. He decided that this was the perfect chance to get a peek at how Sanji truly felt.

“Hey - uh, do you want some help with that?” Zoro awkwardly asked not knowing how the cook does it so smoothly.

“Really? I’d appreciate it.” The beautiful woman shot Zoro a wide toothy grin, the kind Sanji would get all giddy over. When he received this, he didn’t feel anything. He took one of the bags from the woman’s hands and carried them over his shoulder, walking with her to her destination. The woman thanked the swordsman and they went their separate ways.

He did all this and that but he still couldn’t get how the cook truly felt.

* * *

He went back to Sunny and sat his head down against the mask on deck. He felt defeated till he saw Robin. _Robin! Robin would probably know how the cook felt!_ The swordsman thought.

He went up to their archaeologist and she looked at the swordsman, put down her book, and asked if he wanted something.

“Robin – uh, I got something to ask ya” he said hesitantly but eager. Robin could sense that this was going to be serious so she looked into his eyes, focusing all her attention on him.

“Why does the cook get so happy when he does something for the girls?,” he asked. “I mean, I know he loves women but he always got shot down anyway, what’s the point?.”

“He probably gets something he wants when he does it. Self-satisfaction?,” the archaeologist was a bit unsure considering Zoro wasn’t being as specific as she had wanted. “What do **you** feel when he does these things?” she asked, also interested in his change of behavior.

“Me? I don’t know. I feel - kind of annoyed when he didn’t receive the same amount of attention he gives. What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, breaking eye contact, he felt shameful asking so much about someone who probably doesn’t even bat an eye when it comes to him.

Robin noticed where this was going and let out a small chuckle. “Why don’t you try doing nice things for him? You might understand if you try helping the one you want to know about.” She smiles knowingly at the oblivious swordsman.

“Okay. I’ll try. Thanks.” Zoro walked away feeling unsure.

* * *

Three hours have passed since their little fight. They ignored each other, not even trying to give so much as a glance. Zoro didn’t know what he was supposed to do and Sanji didn’t even try to do anything.

Dinner came around and their little fight continued on from there. They argued about the food, Sanji wanting to hear if it tasted good suddenly turned into an all-out fight. Nami got fed up and smacked the two on the head.

“Both of you need to stop! Not in front of my salad!” Nami slammed the table, hard enough to get everyone’s attention.

“Stop fighting! We’re nakama!” Luffy laughed. “Yeah! We’re all nakama!” Chopper cutely adds. Robin pats the small doctor on the head, agreeing.

“Of course! Nami-swan! Robin-chwan! I’ll stop fighting with this algae if it makes you happy!” Sanji happily says with hearts in his eyes, earning a glare from the swordsman.

* * *

Everyone finishes up their dinner and heads into their respective bunks, except for the cook and the swordsman. Sanji washed the dishes while Zoro was gulping down alcohol. The galley is quiet, you can hear the splash of the waves hitting against the ship.

Zoro wanted to apologize but he wasn’t sure how to do it. Sanji wants to clear the air but doesn’t know what to say.

Zoro decides to speak up first. “Cook” he says in a small voice.

Sanji looks at Zoro and stares at him. “What?” he asked.

“I’m sorry.” Sanji shoots the swordsman a confused look. “I was overreacting, I should’ve just told you why I suddenly tried being nice” Zoro said sincerely.

“It’s okay, so now tell me.” Sanji said, still eager for his curiosity to be satiated.

“I just wanted to know why you get so happy from helping women” he said, continuing to look the cook in the eye.

Sanji wasn’t expecting this. The cook chuckles, then smiles at Zoro.

“You should’ve just asked marimo. It’s not even hard to answer” he smiled and walked over to join Zoro at the table.

“I want to do it because I like it. If they’re happy, I’m happy.” Sanji gives Zoro a small smile. Zoro looked at him confused and asked “But they treat you like dirt! You do all these things for them but they can barely put in the amount of effort just saying thank you!.” Zoro looked hurt from what the cook had just announced.

“And you think **you** can treat me better? Make me happier?” Sanji asked, amused.

“I can if I try!” Sanji was astounded at what he had just heard come from a guy who hates him. “You hate me though, so why would you want to do that?” he asked.

"I don’t hate you at all! I respect you, cook! I treat you as my equal!” Zoro denies the accusation quickly, Sanji has never felt so surprised in his life. “But **you** hate me, don’t you?” Zoro adds and looks away a little sadly.

“I don’t hate you either!” the cook stammers to get the words out of his mouth. They look at each other in shock and start to laugh.

“So we’ve just misunderstood each other this whole time huh?” Sanji laughed.

“Probably.” Zoro smiled at Sanji. They continue to laugh; both of them have never felt so refreshed in their life. This was the first time they had actually managed to get along.

* * *

The next day, they stopped bickering. They looked happier and cheerful than they let on. Sanji was humming to himself while he cooked and Zoro napped on deck with a smile plastered across his face. The crew ate breakfast and or the very first time, the swordsman had offered to help clean the dishes which made the cook delighted. They washed the dishes in silence, not a heavy kind of silence, but a comfortable one. They worked in unison, hardly missing the other’s movements.

Sanji made desserts for the girls, but this time, he had made extra. He happily gave the ladies their desserts, hearts in his eyes, but this time he had also made dessert especially for the swordsman. He knew that Zoro didn’t like sweets as much so he decided to make a dessert tailored to his taste buds. He walked up to the sleeping swordsman and lightly patted him to wake up.

Zoro slowly lifted his eyelids to see the cook looking down at him with a smile on his face, holding a tray with a green dessert.

“Hey. I made you some dessert.” Sanji placed the tray down in front to sit beside the swordsman. Zoro takes the dessert and eats it.

“This is great.” He looks at the cook, happy. The cook’s expression lights up and has the most genuine and natural grin Zoro has ever seen him wear.

“Really? I know you didn’t like sweet things, so I made it a bit sour.” Sanji continued to flash his gorgeous smile at Zoro. “It’s really good,” Zoro said sincerely. They continue to sit there taking in each other’s presence till the swordsman breaks the silence.

“Hey, do you ever want something from the women you try to flirt with?” the swordsman asked.

“I guess I do. “ Sanji breaks eye contact to gaze at the blue ocean waves.

“What do you want?” he asks curiously.

“I guess - love? - is it attention? I can’t really form intimate relationships with anyone because you know, we’re pirates. We can’t really stay in one place for too long” the cooks said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Zoro looks to the cook, the cook now with a serene look on his face. Zoro wanted to help him.

“Can I give you what you want?” he asked quietly, the cook looked surprised but his face softened.

“You want to help me? Give **me** what I want?” he asks with an expression that caused the swordsman to be sure.

“Yeah, I want to help you cook.” Sanji smiles at the swordsman and just lightly nods. 

* * *

For the next few days, they’d lessen their fighting. Sanji had stopped trying to argue with the swordsman and Zoro tried being a little nicer to the cook, helping him with various things. They were often together, usually just sitting in silence, but for them it was comforting.

Zoro is still trying to give the cook the love and attention he wanted but he didn’t know what to do. He tried to get help from his crewmates.

“How to make someone feel loved? I’d try making them happy!” Usopp exclaimed happily thinking back to when he was still in his hometown, when he was still with the girl he’d tell his extravagant stories to.

“I would make them all the things they’d want Zoro-bro!” Franky announced doing his signature pose yelling out “Super!”

“I would protect them! I would never let someone I love get hurt!” Chopper said, cutely rubbing his head with his hands all embarrassed.

“I’d lower their debt! Not completely though!” Nami chuckled with beli signs in her eyes.

“I would play all their favorite songs! Yohoho!” Brook said as he played a romantic tune on his violin.

“I’d want to be intimate with them,” Robin chuckled, book in her hands.

He had asked most of the members already but they all gave vague answers. The only person left to ask would be the most confusing to understand but he just had to ask.

“I would just love them! Hug them! Kiss them! Everything!” Luffy said cheerfully, oblivious as to why his first mate was asking all these questions.

Zoro understood a little better what he should do and took off towards the kitchen.

* * *

Sanji was in the kitchen, planning for what he should make for dinner. He heard the door open and turned to see who it was. _Oh, it’s just the marimo_ , the cook thought to himself. Zoro walked towards the cook and stopped right in front of him, earning a confused look from Sanji.

“Marimo? What is it?” The cook dropped his concentration on today’s dinner to focus on the swordsman.

The swordsman shyly looked away. “Do you like physical contact?” he asked, avoiding the cook’s gaze. Sanji looked slightly startled at this but got the message the swordsman was trying to convey.

“Yes. I do” Sanji answered. Zoro took this as a chance to test it out. His hand went forward to grab the cook’s but stopped midway. “Can I?” he asked quietly.

The cook didn’t answer but instead took the swordsman’s hand causing him to be a little surprised but he just let it happen. Sanji took Zoro’s calloused hands and traced the lines, concentrating on his task. Zoro didn’t know what to do; he just stared at the cook as he continued to feel his hands.

Zoro took his hands away from the cook’s hands and placed it lightly on his cheeks. “Like it?” the swordsman asked. The cook lightly nodded and carefully caressed the hand that touched his cheek, sinking into the swordsman’s touch.

Zoro felt comfortable. He’s never felt like this with any of the crew. He slowly pulled back his hand and pinched the cook’s nose and walked out of the door.

* * *

Things like this started happening between them. They would keep each other company through physical contact, not the sexual kind. The more they did this though, the more Sanji started to want more. He was never this greedy before, he used to be okay with the beautiful smiles he got from the ladies but now, now he wanted more, but how could he possibly tell that to his rival?

It was a slow day on the Thousand Sunny, the crew was quiet, you couldn’t hear the usual noise you’d hear from the crew. The captain was napping for once, the little doctor studying medicine, the sharpshooter fixing his slingshot, the shipwright making adjustments to the ship, the archaeologist reading a book, the navigator drawing her maps, the musician playing a lullaby, and the two remaining crewmates are up on the crow’s nest.

The cook and the swordsman sat beside each other, sitting in silence. Zoro got an interesting idea; he motioned the cook to sit closer. Sanji was a little confused but nevertheless he did what the swordsman wanted. The moment Sanji got closer Zoro pulled him to sit on his lap. The cook, startled, didn't know what to do and tried to move away.

“Stay” the swordsman ordered in a hoarse voice. The cook stopped struggling the moment he heard Zoro. “What’s this for marimo?” he asked, suspicious of the swordsman’s actions.

“Mm, nothing really. Just wanna try” he replied, holding the cook closer. Sanji was a bit surprised but didn’t challenge it any longer. Sanji looked the swordsman in the eyes and nuzzled his head in Zoro’s neck, trying to get closer to the green-haired man. Zoro could hear the cook’s heartbeat beating through his chest. Zoro rested his head on the cook’s hair, getting comfortable.

“Zoro.. why are you doing so much for me?” Sanji breaks the silence with his question.

“I want to,” Zoro replied, patting the cook’s head. Sanji wrapped his arms around the swordsman’s neck then pulled away to get a better look at Zoro. He then went in to hug Zoro, he hugged him tightly allowing himself to be vulnerable.

“Thank you marimo” the cook said sincerely, still hugging the swordsman.

“Anytime shit-cook” Zoro patted Sanji’s back. They sat there till it got time for the cook to make dinner.

* * *

Sanji cooked dinner in a good mood, he made dessert for everyone. The crew was amazed at the amount of dishes their cook had laid out on the table. There was a variety of food set out on the table.

The crew ate happily, and the cook was satisfied at his members’ reactions to each of the food. The cook in particular was paying attention to a certain green-haired man eating his food in silence. Zoro looked at Sanji and gave him an approving nod.

The crew left the galley satisfied that night but the cook wasn’t finished yet, he still wanted to make something for a certain someone. He washed the dishes and started to bake. He swiftly mixed and whisked and put his dessert in the oven. While his dessert was in the oven baking, he thought about what has happened these last few days. The cook has never felt so warm even during his days when he was still at the Baratie. This was a new feeling that he’s never felt but he wanted to more. He hears a “ding” come from his kitchen timer. Sanji takes the dessert out of the oven, smelling the delicious scent that came from what he made. He cuts a piece and plates it. He goes out to the deck to spot a certain swordsman he wanted to give it to.

“Cook” the swordsman speaks up, the cook walks closer to get a better look at the man.

“Marimo” he replied. He sets the dark chocolate cake in front of the swordsman. “Eat” he added.

Zoro takes the cake from Sanji and proceeds to cut a small piece using a fork but instead of putting it in his mouth; he directs his fork towards the cook’s mouth. Sanji looks at him and eats it, wondering why he was being fed by this man. The cook stared at the swordsman as he chewed. Zoro leaned forward, his face now close enough to feel the other’s breath. He stared at the cook’s blue eye, locking the other’s gaze at his own. He wraps an arm around the other’s waist and pulls him even closer, their noses now touching. The cook’s hand lightly touches the swordsman’s cheek, caressing it softly. The swordsman kisses the cook delicately while he runs his hands through Sanji’s back. Sanji lets out a small moan, melting in the swordsman’s touch. They passionately moved their lips together, the cook kissing back. They move away to catch their breath.

“I like you shit-cook” Zoro said as touched his forehead with Sanji’s. The cook smiles at the other, chuckling to himself, tears rolling down his cheek, this was the very first time he really felt like he was loved, loved for being himself. Zoro wipes the other’s flowing tears using his calloused hands.

“I like you too” he replied so quietly that if you weren’t up close, you would have never heard it.

They continue to feel each other under that moonlit night, not caring about a thing in the world.

“I’m so glad I helped that random woman that day” the swordsman snorted, as he pushed in, finally being one together with the one who’s feelings he’s never understood till that day.


End file.
